I wanted to share with you all something that I cherish and while I haven’t been the best fan/follwer lately (travels, illness and all), I was struck and compelled to post this.
www.TheRotund.com has been a source of great inspiration to me for over two years now and Marriane Kirby, specifically has helped me address, discuss, understand and accept myself and all of my wonderful fatness! It’s never easy and it’s usually difficult, but it’s always important to confront your own and even other people’s preconceived notions about the fat. Fat is different for everyone, but I think the following post gets right down to the heart of the matter in addressing self-imposed (or other people’s) obligations. Well, I won’t go too into it because I think it’s perfect all on its own. I highly encourage comments, thoughts, suggestions…but also, please check out her blog like daily! It rocks!
So, I give to you, with full permission:
The Rotund
“No more putting off ’til Thin Tomorrow what you can do Fat Today.”
Direct link to original post: http://www.therotund.com/?p=552
Your Friday Night Reminder
Filed under: Body Image, Fatty fatty 2×4 — TR February 13, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
Listen, this is me, sitting on my loveseat at home (Klippan, from IKEA, for the curious) on a Friday night. I just got home from work – it’s been a long day. But I am logging in to tell you this.
You don’t owe the random people around you anything at all.
You might choose to take on certain responsibilities concerning your loved ones. You might value their aesthetic opinions and wear your hair a certain way because your significant other thinks it’s hot.
But that person behind you in line at the grocery store? Yeah, you don’t owe them lipstick and stylish clothes and an unfailingly cheerful manner.
It’s great to be nice to people, to practice common courtesy. But it isn’t your job to protect people from the image of you in yoga pants.
If performing high femme every time you leave the house makes you feel awesome, absolutely go for it. Have an amazing time and let’s talk about makeup. But if you’re doing it because you would otherwise feel ashamed, because you think you owe it to other people to look good? Yeah, you don’t owe those people squat.
You don’t owe 45 minutes of makeup application to the random dudes at a bar looking to get laid. I get that you are lonely (or otherwise potentially interested in attracting one of those dudes) – so dress it up and have a good time with it. But if you don’t feel like spending the 45 minutes and you still want to go to the bar? Do it! And flirt, if you feel like it, bare-faced and comfortable.
Wear whatever the hell you want whenever and wherever the hell you want.
And, sure, you can argue with me about black-tie events and school-appropriate clothing all you want but what you’re really saying, and I can hear it, is that you’d rather argue exceptions than dig the truth – that you shouldn’t be living your life in pursuit of the approval of random strangers.
Especially not random strangers on the internet.
Wear what you love. Do what you love. Have an excellent Friday night.